Scottish Target and Field Archery Association News story

Following the rather wet day in West Fife earlier in the
month, the forecast for Loch Tummel was also poor, but despite this, 16 or so
keen archers made the journey to the picturesque course on the north shore of
loch. Somewhat surprisingly, the skies overhead began to clear shortly
after the last competitors arrived, and the warm rays from the late August Sun
soon began to stream down through the birch and oak canopy to the tea-hut
below, and temperatures and spirits began to rise.

Despite the clouds to the south and north, the lochside
venue was obviously benefiting from the local micro-climate in the lee of
Schiehallion, as the sun continued to shine from above. As the heat
slowly built up, it became too much for some, and Martin in the kitchen, kindly
offered free iced-teas to all those who decided to persevere in the baking
conditions. One local archer had come prepared in shorts, reminding the
visitors that such hot an dry conditions were not unusual in this part of the
Highlands, even though the rain would very likely still be pouring down just 30
or 40 miles away in Tyndrum and Glencoe.

Despite the offer to setup tarpaulins for more shade, and an
air conditioning unit adjacent to the iced-tea hut, sadly, a fair few of the
competitors decided that they could take no more, and retired after the first
round. But a dozen or so hardy individuals re-grouped and
bravely headed out into the blazing heat, with their leader Stevan selfishly
foregoing a post-lunch cigarette, lest he inadvertently set fire to the now
tinder-dry forest.

After a challenging second round, all survived, including
the brave cub Evan. However, the strong sun did make it difficult for the
scorers, as the powerful UV rays instantly faded both ink and pencil, and more
than just a few seconds of careless exposure rendered the paper score-cards to
dust.

As soon as the last group was in, the de-cyphering and tallying of
score-cards began. By now Martin had run out of ice in the kitchen, and
due to the need to reduce the risk of heat-stroke and de-hydration, and to keep
Alan content, it was wisely decided to postpone the raffle for another day, and
the results were quickly announced: